Wheeled base for chairs



Oct. 6, 1953 R. G. NEFF 2,654,421

WHEELED BASE FOR CHAIRS Filed June 9, 1949 C"). Ca 34 1 32 2a /0 F ig.

man 30 nmll i him Inventor Patented Oct. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE WHEELED BASE FOR CHAIRS Roy G. Neil, Burlington, Iowa ApplicationJune 9, 1949, Serial No. 98,047

2 Claims. (01. 155188) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements and structural refinements in chairs, and the principalobject of the invention is to facilitate wheeling of any conventionalchair along the floor so that any such chair may be used by invalids asa wheel chair, or that any such chair may be easily moved along thefloor Without scraping or scratching, as though it were especiallyequipped with Wheels or casters.

The above mentioned object is achieved by the provision of a wheeledbase which is adapted to be attached to the lower ends of the legs ofany conventional chair, and the principal object of the inventionresides in the provision of means for adjusting the base members so asto accommodate diiferent chairs having legs spaced differently, both inthe front-to-back and side-to-side directions.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of chair legattaching brackets on the base, these brackets being so arranged thatthey readily accommodate chair legs having a circular or a polygonalcross-section.

Some of the advantages of the invention lie in its simplicity ofconstruction, in its pleasing appearance, and in its adaptability toeconomical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view and suchother objects and features as may become apparent as the specificationproceeds, the invention consists essentially in the construction andarrangement of parts as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of one of the base members;

Figure 3 is an under side plan View of a base member;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional detail, taken substantially in the planeof the line 44 in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective detail showing the attachment of a chair legto one of the base member brackets; and

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional detail, taken substantially in the planeof the line 6-45 in Figure 5.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in thespecification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the inventionconsists of a wheeled base for chairs, this being designated generallyby the reference character Iii and consisting of a pair of base membersI2, Hi disposed in X- shaped formation, as is best shown in Figure 1.

The base members [2, i i are similar in construction, so that adescription of one will suflice for both.

Each of these base members consists of a pair of overlapped andlongitudinally adjustable sections It, 52!, the section [3 beingprovided with a longitudinal slot 2!! to accommodate a plurality ofbolts 22 provided on the section it, so that the sections l6, It may beslid together or apart, so as to correspondingly decrease or increasethe overall length of the base member, whereby longitudinal adjustmentof the base member is facilitated. Needless to say, the bolts 22 areequipped with suitable wing nuts 26, for obvious reasons.

The outer end portions of the sections l6, l8 are flattened, as at 28,and are provided with substantially U-shaped bumper strips or guards 28so that the invention does not damage other articles of furniture orwalls with which it may come into contact, and it is to be noted that asuitable swivel caster assembly 30 is mountedon the under side of eachof the portions 26 of the base member sections l6, 18, as will beclearly apparent from the accompanying drawings.

The portions 26 are also provided, on the upper surfaces thereof, withupwardly extending brackets in the form of angles 32, these beingadapted to accommodate a chair leg, either of a circular cross-sectionas indicated at 34, or of a polygonal cross-section as shown at 36. Tothis end, the webs of the angles 32 are formed with apertures 38 and theportion of the angle at the junction of the webs is also provided withan additional aperture 49, these apertures being adapted to selectivelyreceive a fastening bolt 42 which is preferably inserted in theapertures so when the invention is applied to a chair having round legs,or in either of the apertures 38 when the invention is applied to achair having square egs.

In any event, the brackets or angles 32 and the bolt 42 facilitatesecure attachment of the base members l2, Hi to the legs of the chair,regardless of the spacing of the legs in front-'to-back and side-to-sidedirection, it being understood that the members IE, it merely cross eachother but are not actually secured together.

The only major distinction between the base members I2, Hi is that theouter end portions of the sections of the base member it are downwardlyoffset as indicated at 44 in Figure 1, so that the chair leg attachingbrackets of the 3 base are disposed at the same level when the severalcasters rest on the floor.

Finally, it is to be noted that the angles 32 are secured to the membersl2, M at points spaced inwardly from the casters 3!], so that thecasters are disposed outside the legs to assure proper stability of thechair.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will beclearly understood from the foregoing disclosure, and accordinglyfurther description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In combination with a chair including four legs, a Wheeled basecomprising a pair Gf'il'lr dependent and disconnected base members,disposed in overlying X-shaped formation by virtue of their attachmentto diagonally opposed chair legs, the upper of said members beingprovided with a downwardly offset portion adjacent eachend thereofwhereby the portion intermediatethe offsets will clear the lowermember,chair leg mounting brackets provided onthe upper surfaces of saidmembers at points spaced inwardly from the ends of the latter, elementssecuring the chair legs to the respective brackets whereby end portionsof said members project outwardly beyond the chair legs, and castersprovided on the under side of the-projecting end portionsof saidmembers.

2. A wheeled base for chairs comprising a. pair. of independent anddisconnected base. members 4 disposed in overlying X-shaped formation byvirtue of their attachment to diagonally opposed chair legs, the upperof said members being provided with a downwardly offset portion adjacenteach end thereof whereby the portion intermediate the ofisets will clearthe lower member, each of said members including a first and secondsection, means longitudinally adjustably attaching said sections of eachmember to each other adjacent" the ends thereof; a caster carried by theunderside ofeach of said sections adjacent the outer ends thereof, anL-shaped member attached to the upper surfaces of each of saidsectionsinwardly of said casters, and means carried by said L-shapedmembers for detachably securing the" legs of a chair thereto.

ROY G. NEFF.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 175,259 Selman et a1. Mar; 28, 1876- 226,997 Green et al. Apr.27, 1880' 849,999 Hendricks Apr. 9, 1907' 1,178,527 'Lernan Apr. 11,1916' 1,322,719 Nelson Nov. 25, 1919 2,558,144 McComi-e June 26, 19512,578,488 Placerean Dec. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number. Country Date6%, 192 Germany. Aug. 2, 19.40.

